Hometown Sounds

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s exciting DC music goings on every single night of the week. We’re here every Monday to tell you what not to miss.

Monday 4/09:
The Kennedy Center’s weeklong SHIFT Festival sends the National Symphony Orchestra out into unique locales around town, while other regional symphonies perform innovative works in the concert hall. This evening we recommend bundling up and heading to the historic Congressional Cemetery to see the NSO perform chamber music, no tickets required.

Tuesday 4/10:
Bossa in AdMo hosts a night of experimental and emotional music Tuesday night with post-hardcore Mock Identity and doomy Literals, with New York free jazz trio GRID.

Wednesday 4/11:
DC recently noted the anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and the ensuing riots that reshaped the city for decades following. On Wednesday Marc Eisenberg’s DC Music Salon discussion series at the Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library hosts a retrospective on the street photographs of Michael Horsley as he documented rarely traversed parts of the city from 1984 to 1994.

Thursday 4/12:
Head to the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage after work on Thursday to catch a special collaboration between UMD’s Hip Hop Orchestra, electro funk band Box Era, 20NVR and artists from all over the DMV. As with all Millennium Stage shows, no tickets are required but get there at 5:30 to nab a good seat.

DC, Friday night is one of those nights where we all the good shows happen at once. Choose your own adventure, and have an awesome weekend.

Friday 4/06:
The mysterious Red Panda House hosts a rare performance tonight by Maryjo Mattea‘s garage rock duo Two Dragons and a Cheetah, along with the silver-jumpsuited Cody Valentine’s cosmic ensemble allthebestkids.

Ryan Walker’s classic folk-rock band The Beanstalk Library adds a horn section for their feature set tonight at The Wharf’s Pearl Street Warehouse, with support from Throwing Plates.

Two hugely funky vets of our Millennium Stage series, Backbeat Underground and Aaron Abernathy & his live band Nat Turner, team up for a killer night at the Rock & Roll Hotel.

A few months ago we got a turn behind the wheels of steel (actually, we just brought a laptop) for Rick Taylor’s post-punk DJ night We Fought The Big One. Tonight the party celebrates 14 years of excellence at the Marx Cafe with DJ Porcupine a special performance by synth wizards Blacklodge + em.g.

Matt Dowling has held down the bassline in DC indie rock bands Deleted Scenes, Paperhaus and The Effects. Now he takes a solo turn as Swoll, with an album release show tonight at Comet Ping Pong featuring Natural Velvet, Toxie Moxie and Loi Loi.

Saturday 4/07:
Off-the-grid creative space Dwell in NE DC (powered by sun and rainwater!) hosts an early evening of poetry from Peyman Allahvirdizadeh and experimental indie folk from Near Northeast. Please arrive on foot.

Sunday 4/08:
U Street Music Hall brings classic go-go back to NW DC Sunday evening with Experience Unlimited, aka EU. Show up on time for gypsy brass band Black Masala!

If you like to go out every single night of the week, we have you covered. And even if you only have one night of live music in you, we’re here to help.

Monday 4/02:
DC area metal shows seem to have found synergy with the city’s indie brewing works. Monday night Atlas Brew Works hosts two Colorado bands, Primitive man and Spectral Voice, and two hometown gems, Ilsa and Genocide Pact. If the phrases “Home Is Where The Hatred Is”, “Eroded Corridors of Unbeing”, “Corpse Fortress” and “Order of Torment” speak to you, then you know where you need to be.

Tuesday 4/03:
The Black Squirrel is well known in Adams Morgan, but did you know they have an outpost in Virginia’s Dunn Loring? Songwriters’ Association of Washington hosts their Tuesday night open mike night, and Jason Mendelson, famous for writing songs about every single metro station in the system, is the featured performer. Here’s the song Mendelson wrote about Dunn Loring.

Wednesday 4/04:
Frank Mitchell Jr is one of the funkiest sax players in town, blowing for See-I, Black Masala, The Funk Ark, The Harry Bells and many more. His current group is Three Man Soul Machine, with Carter Stevens on organ and Mylie Durham IV on drums, and they hold down a residency the first Wednesday of the month at Colony Club on Georgia Avenue.

Thursday 4/05:
When Justin Trawick was coming up as a developing songwriter, he hit upon a winning formula to showcase the genre successfully to diverse audiences. His 9 Songwriter Series is still going strong, and this Thursday it hits Union Stage at the Wharf with featured performers including Sol Roots and Elena Lacayo.

Twice weekly we pick out the best options for you to get out of your house and see some #DCmusic. Here are your weekend recommendations:

Friday 3/30:
Experimental DIY space Rhizome continues its expansion into rock territory tonight with two fantastic acts we love. Heavy Breathing is known for intense psychedelic jams, while Warm Sun features DC music icons Devin Ocampo, Jason Hutto and Renata Burger.

Saturday 3/31:
We told you a few weeks ago about the fire that severely damaged long time Maryland rockabilly roadhouse Hank Dietle’s. Saturday night Bethesda’s Rock Creek Mansion hosts a fundraiser to help the bar rebuild. See The Nighthawks, Rock-A-Sonics and many other bands, or donate online through GoFundMe.

The Sweater Set celebrates 10 years of harmonious music with a live album recording Saturday night at Tonal Park Studios (formerly Airshow) in Takoma Park. This is an amazing chance to be a “Fly on the Wall” for singers Sara Curtin and Maureen Andary and be a part of their creative process.

Sunday 4/01:
Easter is a time of family brunches and potluck meals. Music school and studio 7DrumCity gathers their musical fam together for their monthly potluck jam at 6 PM this evening. Bring a dish, grab a nametag and introduce yourself to some new musicians.